what is it that is delaying the seating of Senator Elect Scott Brown. The Military votes are in and counted. They have had no effect of the winner of this seat. It is well over the 10 days required by MA to confirm and the US Senate to seat and elected Senator. Can anyone out there tell me why the Democrates and Republicans alike are being silent on this issue?Quiltpen
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When is an increase a decrease? When the government says it is apparently. If Patrick needs some lessons in cutting perhaps he should take a trip to Detroit where the automakers became quite adept at the task until they learned that the federal government could serve as their personal ATM from time to time. Cutting means getting rid of things, like the so-called wind farm scheme that has seen stiffer opposition than the British trying to take Breed’s Hill. Slashing the budget generally does not include offering government assurances to banks that small business loans will be backed by that same unslashed budget. More:Read more…
Posted by Cathy O'Brien on January 29, 2010 at 8:30pm
Being the man-child Obama is, could it be possible his attention span is waning? At his 'townhall' in Baltimore today with House Republicans, Obama sounded down right petulant. His comment "I am not an ideologue" was more a defensive response to pundits than a statement, which is becoming more and more frequent.HAS OBAMA BECOME BORED WITH BEING PRESIDENT?Perhaps he's not really cut out for -- or up to -- the jobhttp://tinyurl.com/ykzajxdRead more…
Posted by Frank Parks on January 29, 2010 at 5:00pm
I know that I may not be the brightess star in the sky, but it seems to me that our Country had about the same money problems that are having now back in the early 1980"s with the savings & loan rip offs.The biggest differance is that now it is a government contolled rip off, with our government paying bankers, AIG, investment firms, mortage co., etc. to rip us off. At least back then some of the guilty was sent to prison for what they did, and the others went to Washington DC.With all that Nancy Pelosie has, and is still doing, which is an abuse of power, she should have to pay back every single cent, and spend some time for what she is stealing from us AMERICANS.SEMPER FI
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Posted by Cathy O'Brien on January 28, 2010 at 7:40pm
In a weak attempt to keep a campaign promise about transparency, notice that Obama said he would put entitlements online for all to see, not that he would cut them (another broken campaign promise). This is supposed to be the new Reaganesque fiscally responsible Obama? His State of the Union address was truly historic -- full of contradictions, condescension, pouting, anger and lies, not to mention a historic attack on the Supreme Court. His audacity is only upstaged by his narcissism and conceit.THE STATE OF THE UNION: A HOLLOW SPEECHThe era of big govt is far from over.http://tinyurl.com/yz63phrRead more…
While I don’t wish to speak too harshly about President Obama’s state of the union address, we live in challenging times that call for candor. I call them as I see them, and I hope my frank assessment will be taken as an honest effort to move this conversation forward.Last night, the president spoke of the “credibility gap” between the public’s expectations of their leaders and what those leaders actually deliver. “Credibility gap” is a good way to describe the chasm between rhetoric and reality in the president’s address. The contradictions seemed endless.He called for Democrats and Republicans to “work through our differences,” but last year he dismissed any notion of bipartisanship when he smugly told Republicans, “I won.”He talked like a Washington “outsider,” but he runs Washington! He’s had everything any president could ask for – an overwhelming majority in Congress and a fawning press corps that feels tingles every time he speaks. There was nothing preventing him from pursuing “common sense” solutions all along. He didn’t pursue them because they weren’t his priorities, and he spent his speech blaming Republicans for the problems caused by his own policies.He dared us to “let him know” if we have a better health care plan, but he refused to allow Republicans in on the negotiations or consider any ideas for real free market and patient-centered reforms. We’ve been “letting him know” our ideas for months from the town halls to the tea parties, but he isn’t interested in listening. Instead he keeps making the nonsensical claim that his massive trillion-dollar health care bill won’t increase the deficit.Americans are suffering from job losses and lower wages, yet the president practically demanded applause when he mentioned tax cuts, as if allowing people to keep more of their own hard-earned money is an act of noblesse oblige. He claims that he cut taxes, but I must have missed that. I see his policies as paving the way for massive tax increases and inflation, which is the “hidden tax” that most hurts the poor and the elderly living on fixed incomes.He condemned lobbyists, but his White House is filled with former lobbyists, and this has been a banner year for K Street with his stimulus bill, aka the Lobbyist’s Full Employment Act. He talked about a “deficit of trust” and the need to “do our work in the open,” but he chased away the C-SPAN cameras and cut deals with insurance industry lobbyists behind closed doors.He spoke of doing what’s best for the next generation and not leaving our children with a “mountain of debt,” but under his watch this year, government spending is up by 22%, and his budget will triple our national debt.He spoke of a spending freeze, but doesn’t he realize that each new program he’s proposing comes with a new price tag? A spending freeze is a nice idea, but it doesn’t address the root cause of the problem. We need a comprehensive examination of the role of government spending. The president’s deficit commission is little more than a bipartisan tax hike committee, lending political cover to raise taxes without seriously addressing the problem of spending.He condemned bailouts, but he voted for them and then expanded and extended them. He praised the House’s financial reform bill, but where was Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in that bill? He still hasn’t told us when we’ll be getting out of the auto and the mortgage industries. He praised small businesses, but he’s spent the past year as a friend to big corporations and their lobbyists, who always find a way to make government regulations work in their favor at the expense of their mom & pop competitors.He praised the effectiveness of his stimulus bill, but then he called for another one – this time cleverly renamed a “jobs bill.” The first stimulus was sold to us as a jobs bill that would keep unemployment under 8%. We now have double digit unemployment with no end in sight. Why should we trust this new “jobs bill”?He talked about “making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development,” but apparently it’s still too tough for his Interior Secretary to move ahead with Virginia’s offshore oil and gas leases. If they’re dragging their feet on leases, how long will it take them to build “safe, clean nuclear power plants”? Meanwhile, he continued to emphasize “green jobs,” which require massive government subsidies for inefficient technologies that can’t survive on their own in the real world of the free market.He spoke of supporting young girls in Afghanistan who want to go to school and young women in Iran who courageously protest in the streets, but where were his words of encouragement to the young girls of Afghanistan in his West Point speech? And where was his support for the young women of Iran when they were being gunned down in the streets of Tehran?Despite speaking for over an hour, the president only spent 10% of his speech on foreign policy, and he left us with many unanswered questions. Does he still think trying the 9/11 terrorists in New York is a good idea? Does he still think closing Gitmo is a good idea? Does he still believe in Mirandizing terrorists after the Christmas bomber fiasco? Does he believe we’re in a war against terrorists, or does he think this is just a global crime spree? Does he understand that the first priority of our government is to keep our country safe?In his address last night, the president once again revealed that there’s a fundamental disconnect between what the American people expect from their government, and what he wants to deliver. He’s still proposing failed top-down big government solutions to our problems. Instead of smaller, smarter government, he’s taken a government that was already too big and supersized it.Real private sector jobs are created when taxes are low, investment is high, and people are free to go about their business without the heavy hand of government. The president thinks innovation comes from government subsidies. Common sense conservatives know innovation comes from unleashing the creative energy of American entrepreneurs.Everything seems to be “unexpected” to this administration: unexpected job losses; unexpected housing numbers; unexpected political losses in Massachusetts, Virginia, and New Jersey. True leaders lead best when confronted with the unexpected. But instead of leading us, the president lectured us. He lectured Wall Street; he lectured Main Street; he lectured Congress; he even lectured our Supreme Court Justices.He criticized politicians who “wage a perpetual campaign,” but he gave a campaign speech instead of a state of the union address. The campaign is over, and President Obama now has something that candidate Obama never had: an actual track record in office. We now can see the failed policies behind the flowery words. If Americans feel as cynical as the president suggests, perhaps it’s because the audacity of his recycled rhetoric no longer inspires hope.Real leadership requires results. Real hope lies in the ingenuity, generosity, and boundless courage of the American people whose voices are still not being heard in Washington.- Sarah Palin
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The way I see it, 3 things have to change, and soon, before America can be saved. 1-Term limits. 12 years max, go home, no more career politicians porking out at the public trough. 2-Put ALL gov't employees in same programs as you and I. Want to fix and preserve SS? Put all of congress in it and it will take about a week.3- School choice. Let parents decide what school their child attends and you will see immediate and dramatic improvement. Those kids/parents who don't care will quickly be separated from those who do. Ask your local politicians where they stand on those three issues and vote accordingly.
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Posted by R.T. Hudgins on January 28, 2010 at 10:01am
ARLINGTON CEMETERY -Jeopardy QuestionOn Jeopardy the other night, the final question was " How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the Tomb of the Unknowns ---- All three missed it --This is really an awesome sight to watch if you've never had the chance. Very moving experience, the soldiers' dedication is very evident, and the changing of the guards is fascinating in the precision of each movement.Tomb of the Unknown Soldier1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the Tomb of the Unknowns and why?21 steps : It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1.3. Why are his gloves wet?His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and , if not, why not?He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.5. How often are the guards changed?Guards are changed every thirty minutes,twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30".They must commit 2 years of life to guard the Tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on his lapel signifying he served as guard of the tomb. There are only400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of his life or give up the wreath pin.The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone or watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are:President Taft,Joe Lewis {the boxer}Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII of Hollywood fame.Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, ourUS Senate/House took 2 days off in anticipation of the storm. On the ABCevening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, 'No way, Sir!' Soaked to the skin,marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person. The Tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.God Bless and keep them.We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.IN GOD WE TRUSTRead more…
Now on to the real business hidden in the title. When started, the original plan was to focus on Massachusetts politics with a strong focus on Beacon Hill. Much to everyone's surprise, Scott Brown happened pulling us into the deeper, murkier, smellier world of national politics. I promise that we will try to get back on track because there really is no dearth of outrage to discuss - he says, thinking specifically of Governor Deval Patrick "cutting" the state budget by adding 3% and using the stimulus cash to balance the budget. Continue . . .Read more…
Posted by Cathy O'Brien on January 27, 2010 at 4:54pm
In light of the spin we will inevitably be subject to tonight, let's get some real figures down. Firstly, a freeze is not a cut, and in order to get a grip on reducing our deficit, you have to reduce spending, Mr. President, but you already know that. That's just going to be Spin No. 1, and the most critical to our existance. Everything else takes a second seat, because if this county goes backrupt, the rest cannot be dealt with.PRESIDENT OBAMA IS RIGHT, WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEMCrippling debt caused by govt's inability to curb spendinghttp://tinyurl.com/yfk39mrRead more…
Posted by Cathy O'Brien on January 27, 2010 at 1:13pm
Not being a lawyer, but a citizen who knows how precious our freedom of speech is, this piece by Newt Gingrich defines why the recent Supreme Court decision is monumental. There will always be people who abuse, but the right to voice an opinion, either as an individual or as a group, should never be silenced. We see that with the Tea Party movement. Does anyone not believe that Obama would use every trick in the book to silence this 'group' because he now has all the power behind him? Tea Party groups have published material, made movies, and distributed newsletters. Are they to be silenced during a campaign under the campaign finance law?A VICTORY OVER THE POLITICAL MACHINECan we trust the people, and not the govt, to determine our political future?http://tinyurl.com/ygzx8lyRead more…
Dear Public,I believe the NW needs to prepare to have a greater role in public safety asap. The economy is chewing away at the enforcement personnel and lay offs are effecting the crime rate rising. Voluteers are needed to get involved and we need to expand, develope, plan and prepare to handle our own security issues in the USA.Contact number is 916 944-3008.Sondra
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Posted by Cathy O'Brien on January 26, 2010 at 3:49pm
Prepare yourselves for the biggest staging event since the styrofoam pillars at the Democratic Party Convention, which had to be moved from the conference hall to a football stadium to handle Obama's ego. I wonder if the 'halls of congress' will be big enough. This is the man who had to stage a [teleprompter] talk before a 6th grade class.THE STATE OF OUR UNIONhttp://tinyurl.com/yfkkfvrRead more…
Posted by Cathy O'Brien on January 26, 2010 at 1:20pm
In this whirlwind first year we have just completed, are we ready for the second? Who could have imagined that every day would bring a new debacle, and America would scramble to keep her head above water. But, for every cloud there is a silver lining. America has never been so engaged, united and involved in learning more about how this country works. We have, in essence, gone back to school to learn about government, the law, and the deep roots our heritage.HOW STUPID DO THEY THINK WE ARE?No wonder Scott Brown is going to Washingtonhttp://tinyurl.com/yhcuu9uRead more…
Posted by Cathy O'Brien on January 25, 2010 at 5:30pm
Seems as though the only people not receiving the message coming out of the Massachusetts special election is Obama and his administration. Obama had another 'staged' response with his water boy, George Stephanopoulos, on ABC, where he pontificated about his election wave being similar to Scott Brown's. How pompous. How disconnected. How out-of-touch can one man be? Narcissus comes to mind.AFTER MASSACHUSETTS, LIBERAL BLOODLETTING WILL CONTINUEDid Obama really think the laws of physics did not apply to him?http://tinyurl.com/yjzrgyfRead more…
Posted by Cathy O'Brien on January 25, 2010 at 4:10pm
FROM DICK MORRIS: Highly informed sources on Capitol Hill have revealed to me details of the Democratic plan to sneak Obamacare through Congress, despite collapsing public approval for healthcare “reform” and disintegrating congressional support in the wake of Republican Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts.President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid all have agreed to the basic framework of the plan.Their plan is clever but can be stopped if opponents of radical healthcare reform act quickly and focus on a core group of 23 Democratic Congressman. If just a few of these 23 Democrats are “flipped” and decide to oppose the bill, the whole Obama-Pelosi-Reid stratagem falls apart.PELOSI AND REID PLOT SECRET PLAN FOR OBAMACARE(List of 23 Congressmen with phone/fax numbers)
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